SHARE

How to Make Water Kefir at Home

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 20, 2017
How to Make Water Kefir at Home

Kefir is a very healthy drink obtained from fermenting various ingredients. Although it is still not very well-known to the general public outside the region of the Caucasus Mountains, it has many properties that are worth taking into account because they are very beneficial for our health.

If you haven't tried water kefir yet, you should know that it tastes similar to fizzy lemonade. Homemade milk kefir is also a good option, but if you're lactose intolerant or vegan water kefir is the choice for you. Want to know the properties that it has and how to make water kefir at home? At oneHOWTO we'll give you all the details.

You may also be interested in: How To Make Soy Yogurt At Home

What is water kefir and how do you make it

Water kefir has some very interesting probiotic properties for the body. This helps us to enhance, maintain and improve our intestinal flora, in which bacteria are vital to maintaining good health.

Since it is still a drink that's not that well-known, you can't buy it ready-made. The main ingredient is water kefir grains: you can't buy them either but other people can give them to you. For example, the quickest way is to go to a herbalist and ask, and if they don't have it, you can search internet forums.

When you get it, treat it with care and affection because it is a fungus that grows over time, so you will always have the material to make more drinks. Hence they are given away through the internet because some people have these fungi but don't use them.

How to Make Water Kefir at Home - What is water kefir and how do you make it

Properties of water kefir

If you're wondering what does water kefir do the list is very long:

  • It stimulates our digestive metabolism and soothes mild stomach upsets. That is to say, if we have it after meals it will help stop some foods from repeating on us and make digestion smooth and easy, and problem-free.
  • It improves constipation
  • It helps you lose weight, yes, but it should always be part of a healthy and balanced diet.
  • It has antibiotic properties, i.e. it can fight against some viruses or bacteria. However, in these cases it is always best to these your doctor.
  • It is a tonic and diuretic, so it helps to eliminate toxins from our body.
  • Thanks to this elimination of toxins, it helps us to keep skin in good condition, clean and healthy.
  • It is very good when we have no appetite or when we can't take a wide variety of food such as when we are recovering.
  • It fights any weaknesses in our immune system, making it stronger.
  • It regulates blood pressure.
  • It helps with conditions such as arthritis or asthma.

As you see there are many benefits that kefir can bring to our body, so you can take it without worrying even if you have none of the above problems as it has preventive effects, i.e. it stops certain minor ailments from developing. At OneHowTo we list for you the specific benefits of kefir.

How to Make Water Kefir at Home - Properties of water kefir

How to make water kefir

Remember to never use metal utensils and items to make this drink, because they could alter the properties of the kefir. To make water kefir we will need:

  • A large glass jar with a wide mouth
  • A plastic colander
  • A plastic or wooden spoon
  • 1L natural mineral water
  • 3 tbsp whole cane sugar (can also be white, but is brown is better)
  • 1 dried fig
  • Half a lemon
  • 3 tbsp water kefir grains

And the recipe is no secret. First, fill the large jar with the natural mineral water (above all, avoid non-tap), put in all the ingredients in any order. Next, shake it until well-mixed but don't fully close the lid completely because otherwise the fermentation won't take place.

When ready, let it stand for 24 hours at room temperature. After that time, stir it a little and leave for 24-48 hours also at room temperature. The longer you leave it, the more fizzy the drink will be, it's up to your personal taste. After these 2-3 days, drain it and drink the liquid. You can save the kefir grains and look after them to make this drink another time.

You can store the drink in the fridge but don't leave it for too many days because over time it loses beneficial properties. And remember to keep the grains very clean: wash them with bottled water and use water and sugar to preserve them.

How to Make Water Kefir at Home - How to make water kefir

If you want to read similar articles to How to Make Water Kefir at Home, we recommend you visit our Food & drink category.

Write a comment

What did you think of this article?
1 comment
paul clarke
Regarding comments about milk kefir
Some people may be able to
consume it without problems. If I have any amount of milk it causes problems. Yogart is still a problem unless in small amounts. However with milk kefir I often have the smaller carton metric but looks about half a pint roughly with no problems whatsoever. Hope this is useful. We are all different so no doubt best to try a little first and if no problems perhaps a little more gradually . Paul
How to Make Water Kefir at Home
1 of 4
How to Make Water Kefir at Home

Back to top ↑